MACRMI briefing at the Massachusetts Hospital Association

December 19, 2012 at 11:18 AM

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On December 3, 2012, MACRMI held a briefing at the Massachusetts Hospital Association which covered the background of the CARe approach and the tools necessary to start such a program. Over thirty hospital representatives attended to learn about CARe and its benefits.

Dr. Alan Woodward, past President of the Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) and chair of the committee on professional liability, spoke about similar programs at the University of Michigan and Stanford, and presented their findings which included: significant cost savings, increased reporting of adverse events, and a supportive culture for clinicians through which the fear of litigation is mitigated. Dr. Woodward also introduced a 2010 study, jointly conducted by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and MMS, called the Roadmap to Removing Barriers to Disclosure, Apology and Offer in Massachusetts, in which he described the barriers identified and the group’s plans for overcoming them.

Then, Dr. Kenneth Sands, senior vice president of Health Care Quality at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, discussed the CARe pilot project that MACRMI has launched in six Massachusetts hospitals, and described the conditions necessary for building a similar program at a new site. Some of these factors included the willingness of leadership to support the effort, and a capable team of adverse event investigators that is well-versed in root cause analysis tools.

A recording of the briefing will be available for members to watch on MHA’s website within the next few weeks.